School: Emly (B.) (roll number 16059)

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1. The Last Hedge-School at Emly

   

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   There was a school where Hanly's house now stands at the southern end of Emly Village. It was a small house. The walls were made with mud and it had a thatched roof. It was there up to the year 1877.

   A man named Tom Heffernan that taught in the school. Before coming to that house he taught for some years in a little cabin directly opposite the gate of the avenue to Emly House. He was called Láimhin Heffernan because he had one withered hand. He had only the use of one hand. He used to carry an ink bottle with a piece of string around his neck. He was a small man. He taught there for forty years.

   There were about twenty scholars in his school. There was no furniture at all in the school room. The scholars used to sit on stones around by the wall in Winter. The scholars had to pay a penny a day for their education. In Winter they had to bring a sod of turf for the fire during the day. In Summer they would go out under the air.

   He taught much the same subjects as now-a-days. The subjects were writing, reading, spelling, Irish and geography. Spelling was a special subject in itself. Each scholar had a spelling book. He used to write the headlines himself.

   There are six or seven men still alive

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. buildings
            1. schools (~4,094)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   David Mac Eniry

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Clashdrumsmith, Co. Tipperary

   Informant

   Maurice Kirby

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   71

   Address

   Emly, Co. Tipperary